Watch Jon Stewart announce he's leaving the Daily Show forever and try not to cry.

*Cue sad Daily Show guitar riff.*

We rushed to our computers last night to bring you the news that Comedy Central had confirmed Stewart's departure, but since the show hadn't aired, all we could bring you was a copy of Stewart's first episode from January 11, 1999, 16 years and one month ago. (He keeps saying 17 years...I don't know what to tell you.) Now, however, we can show you the fateful announcement itself, made at the end of the show before the Moment of Zen. It's a sad day for Daily Show fans, but at least the summer of John Oliver taught all of us that we could endure this inevitable transition.

Rumors began spreading when the studio audience for yesterday's show—taped hours before The Daily Show airs—started leaking the news to social media. You can see how that would be a hard secret to keep. It must have been really hard to be the first 150 people in the world outside the writers' room to have this information without shouting it to the world.

Who will be the new fake journalist the world turns to? I hear Brian Williams is available, but Jessica Williams has a lot more gravitas.

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When Jon Stewart began in 1999, journalists were far more respected than comedians. Thanks to hard work by both parties, that has reversed.— Johnny McNulty (@JohnnyMcNulty) February 11, 2015